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When we celebrate Christmas today, we are not celebrating, as many people and unfortunately also more and more Christians would like to explain to us, the birth of an outstanding human being who then gained the favour of God through His way of life. No, when we celebrate Christmas, we are celebrating that the one who created everything (verse 4) Himself became human. The Creator, who is the only one who could make a valid claim to ownership of everything that exists, is born as a helpless newborn human being, completely dependent on the care of Mary and Joseph.

Can we believe that? It is not surprising that many people do not succeed. This is not just a sign of our times. John also wrote about this in verse 11 ” He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” How is it with us? Alongside all the joy and celebration, Christmas always poses the question: “Do we believe that?” Is the child who was born 2000 years ago the Christ, the Creator, the Son of God who became human for us so that we can all become children of God through him? John also writes about this in verse 12 ” But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”

The question remains: “What is the benefit of becoming God’s children?” It is a story that could be the basis for popular fantasy novels of today: “God creates a world of light in which everything is perfect: “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good”. Genesis 1-31. We know that it has not remained that way. Satan came with the power of sin and from then on, step by step, destroyed God’s creation and turned light into darkness. The wonderful order of God, designed to last forever, is systematically thrown out of balance. Love turns into hate, mercilessness, lies and envy spread and we humans, no matter who we are or what we do, become jealous of one another and inevitably become entangled in our sins. What God created as eternal becomes transient because it no longer corresponds to the divine order. Who can resist this? Is God’s wonderful creation lost?

Here we are again at Christmas. God has shown that He will not give up on His creation and His children – us humans – even if it means the price for Him to become human in Jesus Himself. He sends His son into the darkness of this world and the darkness cannot gain power over Him. “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” Verse 5.  Neither the malice and treachery of a child-murdering Herod, nor the disloyalty and denial of His best friends and disciples (in the hours when He needed them most) and even the most powerful weapon of evil, the Death could not gain power over Jesus. The previously invincible power of darkness and death has been broken for all time by the “light” of Jesus Christ. Paul therefore also calls Jesus the first fruits who has cleared the way for all who believe in Him (1 Corinthians 15:20). Jesus himself assured that the darkness will have no power over those who listen to Him: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give to them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28).

So, what do we celebrate at Christmas? A significant historical event or an event that changes our whole life? Christmas is the festival of love because Jesus’ love for us humans has overcome the hatred of this world. Jesus, God the Son, has the part in God’s creation of creating everything according to the will of the Father. But Jesus is also the essence of the triune God that changes everything. To this day, all receive, who believe in Jesus, as God’s children, we have the strength and ability to counter the hatred of this world, despite all injustice, with a sign of love, because Jesus himself changes them, makes them into a new person. Paul also calls this the new creation (Galatians 6:15). With the birth of Jesus, the Kingdom of God has visibly returned to our world. The seemingly inevitable cycle of cause and effect, of the escalation of guilt and violence, is interrupted by the love and forgiveness of this new creation.

It is a true reason to celebrate “every year” that through the birth of Jesus we can be part of this new creation, the coming and expanding Kingdom of God. We just have to decide whether we accept Jesus to become God’s children.